The best part of creating these shoes? Drinking the beer, O'Brien tells Ecouterre.

CARDBOARD KICKS

While O’Brien is driven by any material that sparks imaginative storytelling, cardboard remains his medium of choice because of its innate ability to grab attention. The designer, who graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University with a degree in graphics art, isn’t without a sense of humor, either: Many of the shoes are modeled after footwear designs O’Brien loves but can’t afford.

Many of the shoes are modeled after footwear designs O’Brien loves but can’t afford.

“One of the strengths of using cardboard is that it’s accessible and familiar to everyone, so people see objects made out of it,” O’Brien tells Ecouterre. Future plans for MOB Cardboard include a studio space where O’Brien can conduct recycled-material workshops that engage others with art and design while passing on a message of sustainability.